Mangano Launches "Operation Safe Sweets"

Program monitors sex offenders to protect trick or treaters on halloween

Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano, joined by officials from the Nassau County Department of Probation, Nassau County Police Department and Parent’s for Megan’s Law Executive Director Laura Ahearn, today announced that “Operation Safe Sweets” is in place and ongoing for Halloween 2010. The Operation is designed to protect children from sex offenders on Halloween through monitoring and randomly checking on convicted sex offenders as Halloween approaches.

“Nothing is more important than protecting our children,” said Mangano. “Our law enforcement agencies are joining together to ensure that Nassau children have a safe and sweet Halloween.”

The County Department of Probation has conducted “Operation Safe Sweets” for six years now with great success. This year, Probation Officers will visit more that 200 homes to ensure sex offenders are in compliance with their probation conditions.

“We want to thank County Executive Mangano for continuing to deploy the services of Nassau County to provide a heightened level of scrutiny over sex offenders,” said Ahearn. “Our children deserve nothing less.”

"Operation Safe Sweets" was implemented in 2004. It is a multi-pronged approach that begins with the Probation Department sending a written notice to all convicted sex offenders reiterating the court-mandated limitations regarding contact with children.

Second, teams of Probation Officers are deployed throughout the Nassau on Halloween to conduct random, unannounced visits to sex offenders’ homes to ensure compliance. Offenders who violate the court-ordered conditions are subject to substantial terms of imprisonment.

“The brave men and women of Nassau’s probation and police departments are working tirelessly to provide a safe holiday for our children,” said Mangano. “The program has been a tremendous success.”